Moving target for practice shooting



May 10, 1932. E. UDET v 1,857,893

MOVING TARGET FOR PRACTICE SHOOTING Filed l larch as, 1950 I 3N VENTOR.

Erm't Udei' Patented May 10, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ERNST UDET, OE BERLIN, GERMANY x'ovnrc. 'ranen'r son raacrrcn snoo'rmc Application Medial-ch 28, 1930, Serial No. 488,983, and'in Germany December 9, 1929.

This invention relates to practice shooting and particularly tomoving silhouettes simulating aircraft astargets for practice shootmg. Q a 5 The invention fills a much neededwant in antiaircraftlpractic'e shooting, ash no targets were known which were; omparable in shapea'nd movement wi and could be used without danger l0 ing aircraft,

Further according to my invention a sheet is used in the form of atriangle vhaving unequal sides,'; with the base attached to the cable andtheT-longer sideat the .top. The tip or apexofthe-triangle is preferably rounded. This shapeihas theadvantage that the sheet remains taut at all angles which the cable normally assumes when diverging from the Vertical position owing to changes of speed :0 of the aircraft, changes of length of the cable,

different loads on the cable and so on.

Theinvention is-illustrated in the annexed drawings.- Fig. 1 shows a towing aeroplane with a silhouette target representing an aeroplane in side-elevation. Figs. 2 to 4 show targets representing aeroplanes in perspective.- I

1 designates a towing aircraft, from the fuselage offl'wh'ich depends a long cable 2 adapted to-be hauled in and payed out. 3 is a weight'orlloadi'ng attached to the lower end of the cable. for-holding it in a substantially vertical position. 4 designates a sheet preferably' of fine mesh vgauze, to which is attached a silhouette 5 of an aircraft, formed of black silk or the like. White lines on the.

silhouette indicate-the position of the impor tant tank the pilot 8, the gun position 9 and the machine-gunner 10.

The transparent fabric 4 may be secured to the cable 2 in any suitable manner. One edge thereof isattached to the cable 2 throughout the ed e length. The cable ishauled into'the plane or the first time when the plane is still standing on the ound and during the haulin in step the abric is retained behind the ca le 2, so that when the cable is payed out from the plane in flight the fabric surface is instantly seized by the air current and arts to aim .at, forinstance, the fuel stretched backwards tightly. When the cable is hauled in during flight the fabric surface is caused in an entirely natural manner to lie behind the cable in a suitably folded position the initial hauling in step, while the plane is on the ground, the doubling up or folding of the fabric in a zi ag fashion behind the cable looking in the the first hauling out operation.

Figs. 2 to 4 show silhouettes representing banking, diving or turning aeroplanes, so,

for the next hauling out operation. Duringirection of flight facilitates that the gunner practising may also be offered these positions as a target. V The towing aeroplane 1 is at a considerable height above the towed target, so. that I the practising gunner is not liable to .hit it, even when shooting inaccuratel The shots do little damage to the silk an gauze. The area of the gauze is, preferably, greater than that of the silhouette, so that within certain limits the mis-shots will also be registered on the target.

- The, method of towing enables the normal and turning, to be faithfully reproduced.

Of course the targets may also represent air ships and the like.

What I claim is:

1. Means for target practice comprising a motor-driven aircraft, acable carried by adapted to be unfolded by the air current when the cable is payed out from the aircraft and to" be held taut in the air.

2. The combination according to claim 1 with the silhouette representing the flying machine in curve position.

3. Means for target practice comprising a motor-driven aircraft, a cable carried by the said aircraft, the said cable being adapted to flying movements, such as climbing, diving be payed out and hauled in and carrying a transparent fabric, said fabric bearing a silhouette simulating an object forming a moving target for tar et practice, and a weight provided on the reeend of the cable and adapted to hold the cable in a substantially vertical position, the fabric being adapted to be unfolded by the air current when the cable is payed out from the aircraft and to be held taut in the air, with transparent lines on the silhouette indicating the position of important parts of the target to. aim at.

4. Means for target practice comprising a motor-driven aircraft, a cable carried by the said aircraft, the said cablebeing adapted to be payed out and hauled in and carrying-a transparent fabric, said fabric bearing a' silhouette simulating an object forming a moving target for target practice, and a weight provided on the free end of the cable and adapted to hold the cable in a substantially vertical position, the fabric being adapted to be unfolded by the air current when the cable is payed out from the aircraft and to be held taut in the air, the silhouette being surrounded by a broad margin of the transparent material adapted to serve as indicator for shots that have missed the mark.

5. Means for target practice comprising a motor-driven aircraft, a cable carried by the said aircraft, the said cable being adapted to be payed out and hauled in and carrying a transparent fabric, said-fabric bearing a silhouette simulating an object forming a moving target for tar et practice, and a weight provided on the rec end of the cable'and adaptedto hold the cable inra substantially vertical position, the fabric being adapted to beunfoldedjov the air current when the cable 7 is payed out from the aircraft and to be held taut in the air. with the silhouette representing an aircraft in oblique position.

6. A target for target practice consisting of a transparent sheet of foldable fabric having an opaque silhouette of fabric in the form and size of an airplane simulated and adapted to be fastened to a cable and to be towed in a substantially vertical plane through the air by means of an aircraft'carrying said cable, the silhouette being formed with transparent parts indicating vulnerable points of the target.

In testimony whereof, I have: signed my name to this specification.

ERNST UDET. 

